Daily Current Affairs, 13th March 2018

1)  Karnataka's ‪‪Belgaum‬ Is Now Home To India's Tallest Flag

•India's tallest national flag was unfurled in Belagavi (also known as Belgaum) in Karnataka. The event was attended by leaders, schoolchildren, and leaders of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh institutions at the Kote Kere front. Where size is concerned, this flag in Belgaum beats the one at the India-Pakistan border at Attari in Punjab. 

•Belagavi District Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi unfurled the 9,600 sq ft wide flag on a 110-metre-tall flagpole.

2)  PM Modi Launches Number Of Schemes For Poor In Varanasi

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a number of schemes for the poor in Varanasi and emphasized on harnessing solar energy for cooking. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth over Rs. 800 crores in Varanasi. 

•He also flagged off a new train- Kanshi-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express - between Varanasi and Patna. The Prime Minister also announced Ayushman Bharat scheme to ensure better healthcare facilities for the poor. 

3)  PM Launches Campaign To Eradicate TB By 2025

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a campaign to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025, five years ahead of the globally-set deadline. After inaugurating the Delhi End-TB Summit Modi launched the TB-free India Campaign to take the activities under the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination forward in a mission mode for ending the epidemic by 2025.

•A target has been set to end TB globally by 2030. Mr. Modi stated that India has targeted to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025. 

4)  Centre Forms Tribunal To Solve Mahanadi Water Dispute Between Odisha & Chhattisgarh

•The Centre has constituted a three-member Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal to adjudicate the dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh over sharing the river's water. Supreme Court Judge AM Khanwilkar will be the Chairman of the tribunal, with Justice Ravi Ranjan of the Patna High Court and Justice Indermeet Kaur Kochhar of the Delhi High Court being the other two members. 

•The apex court had sought to refer the dispute to a Tribunal for adjudication under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.

5)  Govt To Institute Award For Best Investigators Of Crime

•The government has decided to institute an award for carrying out best investigation of crime for promoting high professional standards among police forces. The award - Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Police Investigation - will be given to the best investigators of police forces of States, Union Territories and central investigating agencies. 

•Based on the average crime data for the last three years, a total of 162 medals will be awarded every year. Out of these, 137 will be for the states and Union territories and 25 for the central investigating agencies - National Investigation Agency, CBI and Narcotics Control Bureau.

6)  BHEL Secures Order Worth Rs 736 Crore From NPCIL

•The public sector Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has secured significant orders worth 736 crores Rs., after competitive bidding, for supplying Steam Generators for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). 

•The generators will be manufactured at the Tiruchirappalli plant of BHEL and will be installed at the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), Gorakhpur, Haryana.